


There is nothing more artistic than to love you

by BadboyDown



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Art Student! YangYang, Boys In Love, Fluff, History student! Hendery, M/M, Teacher Hendery, Time Jump, Xiao Jun and Ten are only mentioned, dash of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-11-02 02:15:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17879189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadboyDown/pseuds/BadboyDown
Summary: History student Hendery and art student YangYang fall in love in Paris in the summer of the '87





	There is nothing more artistic than to love you

 

When Hendery was a schoolboy, always in the first row of the small classroom, he used to imagine all the historical battles playing out in his mind. He wondered what Napoleon and his thousand of soldiers looked like, and if he was as small as he was always pictured by the general public.

Basically, since he was young, he always had a liking for history, a wish to know how things happened exactly, and as every history passionate, he wished to have a travel machine and go back to his favorite moments in history.

When he graduated from school, his teacher happily wrote him a recommendation letter for a classy College just in the middle of Beijing. He moved there after being accepted, with nothing but various books in his suitcase and a few clothes.

Hendery befriended kind and smart people and had a wonderful experience there. By the time his last semester rolled in, most of his classmates had already left, either making studies for their respective thesis or already working.

That fall, his mailbox was filled with signed postcards from his friends. Some were from Tibet, Hong Kong or even Egypt. Hendery decided it was time to begin his last college writing. The thesis was planned to have at least fifty pages with an 11-letter size and filled with self-taken pictures.

Hendery decided his thesis would be about Ancient Roman Art.

 

Since the year 1987 wasn't exactly a year were information was as widespread and simple to find as it is now, Hendery spent many weeks going back and forth into the college library. Reading, writing and correcting his thesis.

 

“Hendery!” – Renjun called him just when he finished the last line of his second paragraph. Hendery looked up. Walking in his direction with a white vest and a blue shirt.

 

Renjun and Hendery met on their first day of classes, he was all smart and collected, he also met Xiao Jun that day. The two of them did everything together, especially since they became roommates. They would study and talk endlessly about anything. Soon, Hendery was certain he was in love. But, just like any love story that isn´t meant to be, Renjun got in the scene and almost without realizing it,  Xiao Jun started to spend all his time with him. Hendery just tried to focus on studying the nights Xiao Jun wasn´t around.

 

One night, eight months prior, during a dinner with many of their shared friends, Renjun announced what Hendery had been fearing. That they were in a relationship. That was like an arrow to the heart for Hendery, who felt all eyes landing on him. Most of their friends knew about his evident crush of Xiao Jun, which made it all more embarrassing. After that, Xiao Jun moved out of their room and with Renjun.

 

When he was picking up his last things, he apologized to Hendery. He was surprised but assured him everything was fine and that he was happy for him, when Xiao Jun closed the door Hendery felt the smallest person alive.  

 

Even though the subject was already covered with dust for Hendery, just seeing Renjun was kind of weird.

 

“Renjun. Hey” – Hendery said with a surprised look on his face.

 

Renjun walked up to be in front of his table. Not having enough time to sit down. His fingers coming up and down the wooden pattern on the chair as he looked down at Hendery.

 

“I know things have been weird since you know”

“That was eight months ago, and I'm focused on finishing my thesis. Are you here to write yours?”

“Yeah, the thing is that I'm leaving. It's my last day here as a student. I finished my thesis a month ago and I just come from the revision. I passed” – he said smiling.

“That's awesome. Congratulations” – Hendery smiled too. A part of him wanting to feel envy and roll his eyes, but the other reminding him that everybody finished at different times.

“Thanks, I came to give you this back. It was in between Xiao Jun´s stuff and he said he borrowed it and never got to return it to you. Here” – Renjun said handing him an old book that looked discolored.

“Have fun with your work. Goodbye” – Renjun politely said and proceeded to leave quickly. It was _very_ uncomfortable. Even for class president Renjun.

Hendery looked around the library, there were many people rushing to finish, and he felt bad for not having finished already. Concerned with such bad thoughts creeping in his mind, he opened the book in the Roman history chapter and saw a picture of a sculpture in a Parisian museum. That was when it hit him. He decided he would go to Paris and see all those beautiful things with his own eyes.

 

 

 

“Renjun sounds like a bitch” – the guy seated next to him in the plane said taking another sip of his orange juice.

“He is not a bitch, He's just a lucky guy. Anyone would be lucky to have Xiao Jun” – Hendery said, not realizing how ridiculous it sounded.

“You know what? You are still thinking about that Xiao Jun guy. You have to move on”

“I moved on” – Hendery replied.

“Really? Then why would you tell your heartbreak story to a total stranger in a plane?”

“Because you asked?” – Hendery responded trying to sound sassy but failing.

“I´ll give you a piece of advice. Now that you are going to Paris. Is your time to finally leave your old crush to disappear from your mind and get a new man. Imagine you and some French boy walking around the Seine River”

Hendery laughed at that. He was going there to write an assignment, not to find a summer romance.

“I'm Ten by the way” – the man shook his hand and smiled brightly.

 

 

Hendery got to his hotel room and was already too tired to do anything but sleep. He changed into his pajama clothes and fell asleep in tucked away in between the feather mattress cover.

When he woke up, the sun was already shining over the city, his tour would pick him up from the hotel in two hours. He changed into his day clothes and prepared a backpack with things he´d need. His trustworthy camera hanging from his neck and various books his backpack.

The bus came early, and Hendery only found a free seat by a window in the back. Many excited tourists, in forms of young backpackers, families, and couples on their honeymoon.

He returned to read a pamphlet of the tour, bathed in bright reds and yellows. The view of the city was breathtaking, the buildings he had only seen in books and in movies were there in front of him. Soon, they got to the museum.

Beautiful. Really no words would ever top beautiful. The museum was better than he imagined, filled with precious pieces exposed on the walls.  

The tour guide proceeded to explain Vincent Van Gogh´s self-portrait. Once she asked for questions, a young man next to him raised his hand smiling, he bit his lip nervously “What did Vincent say when he lost his car?” – the guy was almost about to burst out laughing, and his smile was infectious. Hendery found himself smiling even before hearing the end of the joke.

"What did Vincent Van Gogh say when he lost his car at the parking lot?"

“Where did my van, _Gogh_?”

The tour guide rolled her eyes and many of the people in the tour cringed at the lame joke. Hendery was the only one who laughed at the joke.

Hendery looked to the painting the woman was explaining. From the corner of his eye, he saw the guy leaving to see other places. Hendery realized he wasn't part of the tour, which made him have another grin on his face.

The tour gave them half an hour to see the museum freely. Hendery got to a sculpture section. Many people were seated by the sides on the cold quartz floor, many drawing the sculptures, artists he figured. His eyes traveled quickly through the people until he saw him. The guy from before was seated with his legs crossed trying to draw the white marble specimen.

Hendery walked up to him, the other seemed very focused on his craft. Had a pencil behind his ear and was biting his lip and just before he complained about Hendery blocking the view, he looked up and instantly a smile graced his lips.

 

“You are the guy from the tour” – he said in perfect English.

Then Hendery thanked his overbearing mother for putting him in English classes after school.

Hendery smiled back, just looking at him. “Yes. My name´s Hendery” – he couldn't think of another thing to say then.

“Seat here” – the guy moved his bag filled with brushes and papers.

“I'm YangYang” – YangYang smiled “This sculpture is fantastic. I´m trying to draw it. Do you like it?” – he showed him his notebook, that held a similar looking body.

“It's beautiful, do you study anything related to art?” – Hendery said honestly.

“Thanks, I'm actually an art major” – YangYang explained.

“That's awesome. I´m a history major back in China” – Hendery said.

“Hey, wanna hear another _sophisticated_ art joke?” – YangYang smiled like the first time. A heart-melting smile.

“Sure”

“What was the name of Van Gogh´s fruit loving cousin?”

“Man Gogh” YangYang laughed heartedly again.

“That one was pretty funny” – Hendery laughed

“And, history major Hendery, what are you doing in Paris?” – YangYang said returning to trace lines in his notebook.

“I'm here to write my graduation thesis”

“I'm here to spend my inheritance” – YangYang said taking a sip of a can of coke next to him.

“No drinks allowed” – a security guard said pointing at YangYang.

“Alright. Sorry” – YangYang said taking the can away from his lips.

“My grandfather passed away last spring and, as his least favorite grandson, I only got enough money for a train ticket from Dusseldorf to Paris. He wasn't ever a very open-minded person I guess” – YangYang said biting into his pencil, looking through his bag for an eraser.

“I´m sorry”

“Thanks” – YangYang smiled. “I think that's your tour” – YangYang pointed out to the group of tourists leaving.

“Right. Yeah, I think they _are_ my group” – Hendery didn't want to leave but had many other plans for the day.

“I´ll be here tomorrow, at this hour. If you want to talk or something” -YangYang said looking at his notebook, smiling knowingly at how whipped Hendery was already. Hendery smiled in relief.

“Great. I´ll see you tomorrow”

 

Hendery went to see him the next day. YangYang came with more lame jokes, but Hendery found them funny nonetheless.

“What was the name of Van Gogh´s obnoxious cousin?”

“What?”

“Please Gogh” – YangYang burst out laughing and from that sight alone, Hendery smiled too.

That day, YangYang took Hendery to see the city. They went to small flea markets where Hendery learned more about YangYang.

 

His family was traditional, meaning they were not pleased when one of YangYang´s cousins came with the news that he saw him making out with a boy in the back of the private school he used to go to.

“I guess there are things you can't hide forever”

His mother and dad were disappointed, and even more when he announced he wanted to become an artist.

“If they were upset with me before, then they were ready to disinherit me” – YangYang recalled taking a bite of a coffee ice cream he convinced Hendery to try.

“But it's all fine now. My parents realized how unreasonable they were”

“That's great” – Hendery said softly. YangYang looked at him, licking his ice cream in a way that made Hendery blush a bit.

YangYang took Hendery to see the Arch of Triumph, and they talked about a book they both read, complaining passionately about the stupid actions of the heroes. YangYang had never met anyone who had read _A Hundred Years of Solitude_ from beginning to end. “Everybody complains about the number of characters, and how their names are the same. They don't know what they are missing”

 

YangYang agreed  “Finally. Someone with taste” – Hendery thanked all the gods for picking up that book from the floor of his school library all those years ago.

A few weeks later, and the pair were inseparable. The tours were canceled as YangYang became his official tour guide, which instead of cold explanations were warm stories about his traveler days and topped with kisses under monuments and pieces of art. They went everywhere together, you could find them walking down the Elysian fields, into churches and by shops where they could only make surprised faces at the high prices, and after a long day of sightseeing, they would end up laughing in YangYang´s hotel room which had a nice view of the city. Only to end up falling even deeper in love and lust.

 

“So, great taste in books, dashing good looks and sweet personality. What else is there about Hendery Wong? – YangYang was already standing over the naked mattress in his denim jacket that smelled like fresh oleum paint, taking pictures of Hendery with his instant camera. The polaroid pictures falling over the bed.

“Future historian and the luckiest man alive” – Hendery laughed blissfully as he lied on the bed.

YangYang left the camera in the nightstand and slowly got closer to Hendery, whose heart was already bursting with love.

YangYang laughed and closed the distance between them by kissing him, showing off how in love he was with him.

Hendery can't recall ever feeling that way for anyone. When they were apart, he only thought of seeing him and when they were together, he couldn't help but imagine a future with him. If that was alright.

 

“I love you” - YangYang said after the kiss was over.

“I love you too” - Hendery closed his eyes.

 

The month Hendery had arranged for his thesis was over, and he had only written twenty pages. The most he had written were seven pages when YangYang fell asleep talking about some story from art school.

“I have to leave soon YangYang” – Hendery said with his heart heavy.

“What?” – YangYang said looking down at the Polaroid photos he lied in the bed. He should have known better than falling in love with a man from the other side of the globe.

“I´ll have to return to Beijing in a week to finish this” - He picked up his practically empty thesis notebook.

YangYang went to him and hugged him tightly. Hendery´s arms around his denim jacket, he smelled like a mix of the coffee they had for breakfast and the paint he always used.

YangYang felt his heart crumble under Hendry's heart. He closed his eyes trying to save that moment in his memory. Once the hug was over, a good twenty minutes later, YangYang´s eyes looked watery and his smile was soft.

“Don´t forget about me alright?”

That broke Hendery´s heart.

When Hendery got back to his apartment back in Beijing, he opened his suitcase. Filled with pictures, half-finished drawings, and much fewer books than he anticipated. Many of YangYang´s things he wanted him to keep. An old autographed shirt from Germany's national football team, _a Liu family treasure_ and a book of Art jokes.

 

A piece of paper stuck in the _Van Gogh_ Section.

There were all the jokes YangYang told him. He smiled sadly.

 

 

SEVEN YEARS LATER

 

YangYang cleaned his ID card. Now at 28, and as the new manager of the d´Orsay Museum in Paris, he had to look respectable and serious. Even when he was bursting with happiness from the inside.

“What are the plans for today Tzuyu?” - YangYang asked his secretary.

“There will be some classes coming today” – Tzuyu responded going through the notes the last secretary left.

“Kids?” – YangYang asked cringing. He could already stress over the kids, but he decided he would leave that for later. He liked kids, just not close to invaluable works of art. Especially because, when he was in his first year at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts, during a visit to a museum, he almost ended up breaking an old vase form a Chinese art exhibition.

“Yes, seventeen children” - Tzuyu said as matter-of-factly.

“Thanks” – YangYang said and left to talk with some Korean art curators about some products they needed.

That's when it hit him. It was already twenty-one of February. He sighed. Seven years since the first time he met Hendery at that very same museum.

After speaking with the curators, he got to his office. Taking a can of coke from his little fridge and opening it.

“Where are you now, Hendery?” – he asked softly looking out of the window.

 

 

 

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” – fellow teacher Kun asked Hendery as they were trying to get the kids to make a line to get inside the museum.

“Of course. It's nice to change environments once in a while” – Hendery smiled looking at the whole mess in front of him.

“I can't with you sometimes” – Kun said glaring at him.

After finishing his thesis successfully, Hendery got some jobs as a history teacher at a local high school. His original plan was to finish the thesis and go back to Paris. But, in between settling in his new job and starting to study for a teaching major, the weeks become months and then years. He still thought about YangYang, but with time he convinced himself that all that time was just puppy love and future-less summer romance.

In other news, that year of 1994 started with him finding a job as a teacher in a Chinese school in Paris. When he landed, he went to all the same places he used to go with YangYang, the same coffee ice cream tasted different and the museums were also not the same. It was like seeing an ocean of people, but it was still empty.

“Alright, kids. We are here as guests and have to listen carefully and _not touch anything_ okay?” – he warned the _adorable_ but _dangerous_ kids.

  


 

“Tzuyu, how's everything going? Am I doing it right?” – YangYang asked hopefully looking down at the museum from the balcony.

“Everything´s walking along. Your first day looks good” – She raised her thumbs up and smiled brightly as she walked out.

YangYang looked at the people, he wanted them to feel welcomed at excited since the place held many memories, he still had taped to his nice apartment overlooking the Seine river. He kept all the photos and some things Hendery left behind. Sure, he dated other people afterward, but it was never the same.

  


 

“This is a piece named _The Starry Night_ do any of you know who painted this?” – the museum guide asked with excessive sweetness. Even though they explained the pictures they were going to see, the kids were still clueless. Kun laughed nervously, trying not to look like a bad teacher.

Hendery had his eye on a kid. His name was Chenle, and he was the unruliest child he had ever met. He could already recognize see the spark in his eyes when he was about to make a mess. And this mess was aimed at a vase a few feet away from the place where they were all at.

The guide was explaining another painting when a little girl asked Kun were the bathroom was. He sighed and asked a woman that looked like she worked there if she knew where the bathrooms were. She volunteered to take the child, and Kun thought of proposing right there.

Hendery looked away for a minute, when he looked back at Chenle, his heart almost stopped. The child accidentally knocked the wooden display of the vase, it landed not on the floor. _Thank God._

But on the hand of a person. Hendery looked up and immediately wanted to disappear from the face of the earth.

It was YangYang.

 

After the whole museum visit fiasco, YangYang decided he was not going to let the opportunity slip from his hands and invited Hendery to a coffee shop near the Museum.

Hendery accepted.

“It´s been a long time” – Hendery said looking at how YangYang dipped his cookie in the coffee as he did back in the 87.

“Yeah” – YangYang replied.

“How are you? Did you ever finish the thesis?” YangYang asked taking a bite out of his sandwich.

“Yes, it ended up being much longer than I originally planned”

“That´s nice” YangYang smiled wide, he did seven years ago. To Hendery, he looked just like he remembered, maybe his hair was shorter and he was taller. He looked even more attractive in a suit, but still had the same mischievous look from when they were younger.

Hendery got a book from his jacket. A small, and discolored blue book. 

"That´s my copy of Art Jokes" - YangYang opened the book.

"Interesting, I don´t remember all this" - the book was filled with letters written with a blue pen.

"Those are jokes I made up in these seven years. They are quite lame, but I thought that it would be nice to add more to the collection"

"I missed you Hendery" - YangYang took his hand grinning.

"I did too" - Hendery answered honestly, smiling.

"Then why you never looked for me?" - YangYang´s smile faded and he leaned back in his chair, he removed his hand from Hendery´s and looked away. As if he got an answer he didn´t want to hear.

"I-" 

"It's getting late. See you Hendery" - YangYang said looking over his shoulder and left. His cup of coffee in the middle and a bill left next to the cup.

Hendery stood up, left money on the table and followed the man. He was walking a few meters ahead and Hendery rushed to where he was.

"YangYang, stop"

YangYang turned around, his eyes watery and a sad look on his pretty face.

"Then why you never came back? I wanted to be with you Hendery. I thought that you just forgot about me, but you didn´t and now-" YangYang stopped for air.

"I´m _very_ sorry for not coming back. I just didn´t want to return and see that it was all just a summer fling"

"It _was_ a summer fling, Hendery. And what it could have been" - YangYang said regretfully.

YangYang left, and rain poured over the city. Like the sad ending of a movie. Hendery was there, watching as YangYang was the one leaving.

 

That night, Hendery didn´t sleep at all, with the memories replaying all over his mind. A young smiley YangYang collided with the recent events and the heart-breaking sight of him crying. He felt terrible, not even his cats could distract him from his own mind.

 

The teachers could see it, the students could sense it, but Hendery still denied anything was wrong. It was Kun, who got to hear what happened during lunch break. And YangYang´s secretary found out from hearing him talk with his mom in his office.

The following day, YangYang and Hendery met each other in the Seine River by accident, or more likely Tzuyu and Kun planned it after taking in the museum cafeteria.

YangYang looked at beautiful as ever in his blue suit walking with the sun setting by his right, and Hendery almost felt like disappearing.

"What a coincidence" - YangYang frowned.

Hendery just nodded.

After a long pause of looking at each other, YangYang said "I thought about it"

Hendery´s heart almost stopped beating right there.

"About what?"

He saw YangYang take the blue joke book from the inside of his suit

"About the name of Van Gogh´s aunt from Illinois" - YangYang smiled brightly.

"Chica-Gogh" - they said together.

"That´s a terrible joke" - YangYang said grinning at the book.

"Like you have room to talk" - Hendery replied.

"I heard there´s some good coffee ice cream somewhere around here" - YangYang said gesturing to the ice cream shop they used to go to. Hendery accepted happily.

They got ice cream, just like the old times.

 

 

TWO WEEKS LATER

 

“You have no idea how much I missed you” – YangYang whispered had shivers went down his spine. After going to a walk down the Elysian fields, they were making out thirstily on YangYang´s living room.

“I think I have a pretty good idea” – Hendery replied as he kissed him back eagerly.

 

 

FIVE MONTHS LATER

 

“Boss?” – Tzuyu asked YangYang – “Mr. Wong is here again”

“It´s my cue, I´ll see you guys tomorrow” – YangYang left, almost floating away to his boyfriend´s car.

“Aren´t you happy for Mr. Liu?” – Tzuyu asked at the women left in the office.

"Yeah, it looks like Mr. Liu finally found the muse he yearned for" - a young artist replied with a loving sigh.

“Happy that the boss is getting ‘some? Maybe, if that means he´ll be less strict” – another responded.

Tzuyu laughed.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> My writer's block is finally gone, Thank God :)  
> I need more Yangdery fics and I thought about this idea a few days ago, and here it is.  
> I hope you liked it, ´cause I sure did loved writing it, tell me what you think. <3


End file.
